Jet Mariano

Tag: Layton Temple

  • MIT8 – “Don’t Give Up, Boy”

    By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Oct 1999

    Layton Temple beneath the final supermoon of 2025 — a quiet witness that light continues to rise, even after long nights.

    Excerpt

    “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

    Intro

    For the last four days, I have listened repeatedly to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk An High Priest of Good Things to Come. On December 4, 2025, standing at the Layton Temple beneath the final supermoon of the year, those words settled deeply into my heart.

    This was not a message of quick relief or easy answers. It was a message spoken to the weary, the long-suffering, and those who keep walking even when the road feels endless.

    Notes from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

    Elder Holland shared a tender, personal account from his life — a moment when he imagined speaking to his younger self during a season of discouragement and uncertainty.

    Rather than rewriting the past, he offered reassurance. Not denial of hardship, but perspective gained through time, faith, and endurance.

    His message was simple and powerful: God was already at work. Help was already coming. And quitting was never the answer.

    Perspective (Direct Quotes)

    “In that imaginary instant, I couldn’t help calling out to him: ‘Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying.’”

    “There is help and happiness ahead — a lot of it — 30 years of it now, and still counting.”

    “You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end.”

    “Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    Today, the practice is not dramatic change. It is refusal to quit.

    It is continuing to walk when answers are delayed. It is continuing to believe when outcomes are unseen. It is choosing faith not because the road is easy, but because God is faithful.

    Today, I keep walking.

    Final Reflection

    Under the rising supermoon at the Layton Temple, I felt something quiet but firm: reassurance does not erase trials, but it strengthens the traveler.

    God does not rush us through our struggles. He walks with us through them.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Keep walking. Trust God. Good things are coming.”

    Link to the Talk

    An High Priest of Good Things to Come – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/10/an-high-priest-of-good-things-to-come?lang=eng

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  • Marked In Time – “Stand in Holy Places”

    Layton Utah Temple — late afternoon, sun crowning the spire; shallow haze for a soft halo; foreground reds as a living border. iPhone, 26mm equiv.

    Excerpt

    In a shifting world, God’s laws don’t move. Standing in holy places anchors my heart and tunes my ears to revelation—often quiet, always real.

    Intro

    I came to the Layton Temple in July needing steadiness. Technology breaks, schedules slip, even good plans go sideways. Inside the temple, the noise falls away. President Monson’s call to “stand … in holy places, and be not moved” landed fresh. I felt why the Lord invites us to keep covenants and come back often—the temple is where He re-centers the soul.

    Notes from President Monson

    • God’s commandments are constant; they are commandments, not suggestions.
    • Prayer is our lifeline; God answers—in ways we recognize as we practice.
    • The world’s moral compass drifts, but Christ’s gospel holds steady.
    • Revelation comes when we’re worthy, willing, and in the right places.
    • Holy places (temples, homes, sacrament) give peace to weather life’s storms.
    • Inspiration is to be trusted and acted upon.

    Perspective — direct quotes

    “The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments.”
    “Our Father in Heaven is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
    “Watch and pray always.”
    “Stand … in holy places, and be not moved.”

    Practice — today, not someday

    1. Temple time: schedule my next endowment/initiatory before I leave this post.
    2. Daily prayer slots: five quiet minutes morning and night—no phone, just scripture and a kneeling prayer.
    3. Holy ground at home: set a small, uncluttered spot for scripture, journal, and temple card—use it daily.

    Final Reflection

    In July I brought a hurried heart to the Layton Temple and left carrying peace. President Monson reminded me that God’s laws don’t flex with culture, and that revelation often whispers when I’m where He wants me to be. The temple slowed me to the Lord’s pace. It didn’t erase my problems, but it reframed them. I can face outages, delays, and disappointments without losing center. Holiness isn’t escape; it’s alignment. When I choose the Lord’s places, I hear the Lord’s voice.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Stand in holy places, and be not moved.” One line to carry into every room this week.

    What I Hear Now — direct quotes

    “The work of righteousness shall be peace.”
    “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.”

    A Moment That Marked Me — Frankfurt, 1987 (Monson)

    President Monson told how, during the Frankfurt Germany Temple dedication, he felt a clear impression to call Peter Mourik as the first speaker—even after being told Brother Mourik wasn’t in the building. Trusting the Spirit, he announced him anyway. At that very moment, Brother Mourik felt prompted across town to drive to the temple and walked in as his name was called. This experience witnesses that worthy, timely impressions can be trusted—the Lord coordinates details we cannot see.

    Advantages of Standing in Holy Places (my takeaways)

    • Clarity: Temples tune the heart; choices sort into wise vs. unwise.
    • Protection: Covenants set boundaries that keep me safe when the world blurs lines.
    • Power to Act: The Spirit gives courage to do right things in the right order.
    • Peace: The promised effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever.
    • Memory: Heaven records; the temple helps me remember who I am and whose I am.

    Link to the Talk / Source

    Official text: Stand in Holy Places — President Thomas S. Monson.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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